


A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son

by m0chih0re



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, F/F, F/M, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Zuko (Avatar), Past Child Abuse, Past Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Past Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Yue (Avatar) Lives, because I said so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0chih0re/pseuds/m0chih0re
Summary: No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right to make his father proud. He would always be a disappointment, would be pathetic and weak in his father's cold and distant eyes. It's been three years since he was kicked out of Caldera High by his father, three years since he's been going Ba Sing Se High, a public school that his father sneered down upon. His mother's words echoing through his mind one day will cause him to seek advice from his uncle for once. What would happen if Zuko listens to that advice instead of trying to make his father proud? He'd probably be a lot happier, we just don't know that yet.*Warning! Mentions of child abuse and Homophobia. This is also a Zuko-centric fic. Another warning, I don't know what ships might end up happening! Seeing as I'm a multishipper literally anything could happen!*
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 53





	1. Family?

_Is this what you call a family?_

Those words echoed through his mind. He wasn't sure why those words, that _voice_ , decided to play on a loop inside his mind. He could remember that day so clearly. His mother's shaky voice, his father's loud and cold yells bouncing off the walls of their home. He remembers his father forcing their mother to leave, threatening her. He remembers her begging to take him and his sister with her, but his father wouldn't allow it.

His father, Ozai, never cared for him. He always found him weak, a burden, a failure, _lucky to be born._ He wasn't sure why his father had refused his mother from taking him with her, maybe to make both she and him suffer. For whatever reason. He would never understand, not really. To Ozai, he never did anything right. And never would. No matter how hard he tried, he would always fail. He would always be outshined by his sister.

His sister was everything he wasn't. She was talented, effortlessly so. She was assertive, headstrong, ruthless, perfect, and cold-hearted. She was like their father, which made her perfect. He was like their mother, and to their father, that was the worst thing he could be like. But he didn't really think so.

Their mother, she was kind, compassionate, patient, and caring. He wouldn't really call himself patient though. But their father viewed all those things as pathetic and weak. Not strong traits to have and it was one of the many reasons they argued. The main reason was because of him. It was always about _him._

His mother was always defending him, always protecting him from his father's harsh yells and glares. To Ozai, his eldest was nothing. But Ursa loved her son. She didn't think he was weak. She didn't think he was a burden or pathetic. She thought she was lucky to have him. Happy with how he turned out. Happy that Ozai's cruel words and views didn't plague her eldest's mind like it had their youngest.

But she was gone now. She had been since he was eleven. Sometimes he could still hear her voice echoing through his mind. And today happened to be one of those days. One of those long and painful days where thoughts about his mom filled his mind. Where thoughts about just how awful his father had been to her.

_Is this what you call a family?_

She has sounded so desperate any time she asked his father that question. His father would usually answer in his usually cold and dark way. Saying something about how he was trying to push the absolute best out of his children. But the question stuck with him for many years, not knowing how to answer himself.

They were family. His father and sister were his family. They loved him, right? They only wanted what was best for him...right? The older he got, the more it became difficult for him to answer those questions. Anyone from the outside looking in could tell that this wasn't necessarily a family. There was no way. But Zuko didn't understand that. He was in denial because all he wanted was for his father to love him. To show that he _cared._ To be proud of him.

_Is this what you call a family?_

No, not really. Zuko found himself instinctively reaching for his scarred face whilst thinking of his father. The scar of a weak and pathetic boy. Nobody knew the story behind his scar except for his father, his sister, and his uncle. His uncle...

_Is this what you call a family?_

Zuko had been told by his father that his uncle was a weak old man. But deep down Zuko knew that wasn't true. His uncle...he was everything Zuko had wanted his father to be. Uncle Iroh was a kind and gentle man, but fierce and protective when he needed to be. When Zuko had gotten his scar, Iroh hadn't left his side at the hospital. Had stayed by his side even when he tried to push him away. Iroh never left. And Zuko wished so deeply he could go back in time and treat his uncle better.

Iroh was always proud of his nephew. Zuko didn't even need to do anything, really. Iroh was just...naturally proud of the boy. He praised him for mundane things and showed him so much unconditional love that thinking about it now made Zuko's heartache. Back when Zuko was eleven, his cousin had died. Lu Ten was Iroh's only son, and his death had hit him extremely hard. Causing the man to leave for a while as he mourned the loss of his son.

Iroh had come back at the news of Ursa leaving. And he had come back a changed man. Before, Iroh hadn't been so...tranquil. Zuko pretended to be annoyed by it, to find it irritating. But the calm and almost mysterious personality his uncle had picked up had been a form of comfort for him at the time.

_Is this what you call a family?_

His uncle was family, the question was easy to answer. Of course, he was. How could he not be? It took Zuko forever to realize just how much Iroh did for him. He was sixteen now, a junior in high school when he realized how much his uncle did for him. How much he loved him. He hated himself for it. It had taken him three years to figure it out, and that was longer than Zuko would like. But it didn't matter. Nothing did.

Zuko sighed heavily and finally opened his eyes when he felt the bus come to a stop. He and many other students grabbed their bags and made their way off the cold and dingy bus out into the cold and crisp morning air. He had been going to public school for three years now, kicked out of the prestigious private school his family owned for simply being him. But that wasn't how his father phrased it.

" _You're a disappointment, Zuko. Do you know how this all reflects on me? I can't have a disobedient child attending Caldera. Your grades are subpar, lackluster, unlike your sister. Maybe attending a public school will put you in shape, make you realize just how much our family reputation means. How much you're throwing away by acting out"_

Zuko now scoffed quietly to himself. That was all his father cared about, reputation. How he looked in the eyes of the public. He huffed once again and loose strands of dark fringe blew from his face. The school day was like any other, slow and boring. Zuko went unnoticed like he always did. Avoided anyone and everyone.

Zuko walked out of the school once the final bell rang, and walked right past the busses. He had his hands shoved deep within his pockets, his mind still swirling with the thoughts he had in the early morning. His mother's voice still rang hauntingly through his mind as he walked down the street.

The scarred boy had his hood pulled tightly over his head, had his earbuds blaring loudly in his ears trying to drown out his mother's desperate question out of his mind.

_Is this what you call a family?_

_Is this what you call a family?_

_Is this what you call a family?_

He closed his eyes tightly, trying so hard to ignore the question. But his mother's voice echoed loudly in his head. Zuko's face scrunched up in frustration. His feet carrying him in a direction that was familiar, but he wasn't really focused on where he was going. All he could focus on was everything flying through his mind. It was like everything had decided to come up and attack him at once. Making it impossible for him to focus at all. He didn't even know where he had walked into until he heard someone calling out to him.

"Zuko?"

Zuko knew that voice. It was the cold and distant voice of his father that would make him flinch. It wasn't the sneering and teasing tone of his sister either that sent him on edge. It was the calm and tranquil voice of his uncle. The man smelled like tea leaves and incense. Zuko looked up and was met with the gentle eyes of his uncle.

"Hi, uncle...I hope I'm not intruding?"

"Of course not! You know you are always welcome in my tea shop, Zuko." Zuko felt himself smiling. His uncle's tea shop tended to be busy on some days, usually weekends when most people were off from work. The constant swirling of voices in his head had stopped when he heard his uncle. The man just seemed to calm him down by just being there.

"You seemed troubled when you entered, nephew. Are you alright?"

"Um...I'm...I'm not sure, Uncle." Usually, Zuko would brush him off, tell him he's fine and that would be that.

"What is troubling you, nephew?" Zuko did a quick look around the shop, noticing it was empty except for a small old woman sitting near one of the big windows. Iroh was quick to realize that Zuko was obviously troubled, but unlike any other day, he didn't try and tell him he was fine. He watched as his nephew bit his lip nervously.

"Can...can I just stay here for a bit?"

No matter how much Iroh wanted to know what was bothering his nephew, he was never going to force him to talk about it. That was one of the many things Iroh didn't share with his brother. There were many more, there were so many more that it was hard to believe the two men were even related in the first place.

"Of course you can! Would you like some tea?"

"Yeah. That would be nice." Zuko said in a quiet tone. "Can I ask you something, uncle?"

"Of course," Iroh said as he walked behind the counter to his shop, getting hot water ready for his tea.

"What would you call a family?"

Iroh looked up and looked at his nephew. Zuko stood there staring down at the floor, trying not to meet his uncle's eyes. Iroh set down the pot he had been holding and slowly walked over to the shaggy-haired teen in front of him. Iroh wasn't sure what the cause was for his nephew to suddenly want to ask this question, but he wasn't entirely surprised by it. He knew deep down that Zuko had to start questioning things on his own when he would realize just how awful he had been treated by those that were supposed to keep him safe. Himself included. 

"Family, Zuko, are people who will go out of their way to make sure those they love are safe and happy. Family helps each other without asking, family is when you love unconditionally. Family isn't always just your blood, nephew. You can choose who you deem to be your family. And sometimes those who are supposed to be family hurt you when they aren't supposed to." Iroh spoke in a calm and serene tone. 

Zuko's eyes narrowed upon hearing his uncle's explanation of family. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. Once again hearing his mother's desperate tone echoing through his mind once more. But not he was finally able to answer the question that had been haunting him for years, for the entire day. 

_No, this is not what I would call a family._ When he opened his eyes and looked at his uncle, he smiled slightly and relaxed. _But I would call him family._

"Would it be okay if I help you with the shop today?" Zuko asked in a small voice, watching his uncle smile brightly at his question. 

"Of course, of course! You know I always enjoy having you around here, Zuko! Brings an old man joy!" Iroh said happily, waving for Zuko to follow him into the back of the shop so that he could put on an apron, and prepare to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the past week, I had been listening to "A Trophy Fathers Trophy Son" by Sleeping With Sirens for a week now. I related to the song a lot and I thought about Zuko as well. If you haven't listened to the song before or the band, I highly recommend checking them out. Throughout the story, if I stick to it (and hopefully I will) the chapters will be named after song titles or lyrics and based on them as well. 
> 
> As mentioned in the description of the story, mentions of child abuse will be frequent in this story as well as some mentions of homophobia because Ozai is an ass. There will also be strong language seeing as I myself am almost 20. And I haven't figured ships out yet, but it might end up being Zukka cause I'm a sucker for it. 
> 
> Other triggering topics will have a warning before you read the chapter, whatever those may be. No one will be unaware of either child abuse mentions, homophobia, violence, drug use, or anything else.


	2. Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And what are you going to do about it?" 
> 
> "I could kick you in your dick again." The small girl smirked, and once she got closer Zuko saw her milky eyes that were wide with excitement at the thought of doing just that.

**_Chapter named and based after "[Kids](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHb_XIql_gU)" by MGMT_ **

Zuko should've expected this. Of course, he would get in trouble for staying at his uncle's tea shop after school instead of coming home. But now the scarred teen found out he didn't care anymore. He apologized to his father like he would usually do for making him angry. But Zuko didn't think he did anything wrong, he never did. And it was the first time in a long time he had ever admitted to it. 

But there was nothing he could do. He was lucky the only thing his father did was yell at him. Zuko could live with that. 

The week flew by quickly, which he was grateful for. His mother's words still haunted him, but after getting the answer he got from his uncle his mother's voice didn't seem so...haunting. Though he could never really remember what she sounded like happy, he only remembers her desperate and sad tones she would use when speaking to Ozai. It made his heart hurt and his throat clench. 

Zuko shook his head and made his way out into the school courtyard where students were sitting eating and laughing loudly. The scarred teen found a shaded bench away from most people and sat down. Usually, Zuko put his earbuds in his ears to drown out the loud noises of his fellow peers, but for some reason, he didn't do that today. Everyone's voices were melding together, making it hard to understand what anyone was really saying. Expect a group of students not too far from him. 

"Oh come on, Snoozles! You can't be serious! The Blades suuuuuck!" Zuko turned his head slightly over to where the voice had yelled. The girl who yelled was leaning back, using exaggerated arm movements. Her hair was black and...well a mess. But it somehow seemed to fit her well. 

"All I'm saying is that the Thieves Guild also sucks!" A boy with his sides shaved and the rest of his hair pull back waved his arms even more exaggerated than the girl in front of him. Zuko had an idea what the two were talking about. A video game that had been made years ago, yet it seemed that people that still played it enjoyed discussing certain things about it. 

"But the Blades are the worst and you know it! Who gives them the right to try and tell me what to do? They're supposed to serve me! Not the other way around!" The girl complained, folding her arms tightly against her chest as she glared at the boy in front of her. 

"Well...yeah. But no Factions in Skyrim are great anyway." The boy said with a shrug. 

"Yes but we're talking about the WORST one. And I say it's the Blades. What's their purpose expect to literally look like idiots and try and tell me I need to kill my dragon friend! They suck!" 

"Toph's right, Sokka. And you know it." Another girl said, smirking at the boy. Her skin was pale like the girl with the messy black hair, and even from where he was sitting Zuko could see her bold eyeliner that winged out. 

"Oh come on Suki! You're supposed to be on my side!" The boy exclaimed. "And how can Toph even have an opinion? She hasn't even played Skyrim! She's blind!" 

The smaller girl laughed loudly, throwing her head back in the process. Another girl, one that looked similar to the loud boy sitting beside her, hit his arm heavily and glared at him. "Toph is capable of playing video games, Sokka! Even if she is blind!" 

"Thanks, Sugar Queen, but Snoozles isn't wrong." The young girl smirked. "I may have never played the game, but I've listened to let's plays. And the Blades suck." The group went back to their discussion, Zuko ignoring their loud voices and paying more attention to his own thoughts. The interaction between the group slightly confused him, if anything. He wasn't used to people arguing but not actually being angry with each other. It was...weird. 

He thought about the many arguments he would hear his father have with their mother when he was younger. He thought of the arguments he heard his father have with his employees and maids. Even his own brother. Even Zuko had found himself in the line of fire when it came to his father's rage and loud yelling. The only person he had never seen his father raise his voice at was his sister, Azula. 

But according to their father, she was perfect. Unlike him. She wasn't a failure, unlike him. 

Zuko sighed heavily and cracked his neck. The lunch period ended too quickly for his liking, but he stood with a sigh and walked to his next class regardless. He had almost made it to class without being stopped, for once. But of course, nothing really ever works out for him. 

"Thought you could slip by me today?" 

Zuko made a noise between grunting and growling. He shoved his hands deeper in his hoodie pockets and continued to class. He knew he was being followed, the jackass always followed him. 

"You can't ignore me forever, Zuko." 

Silence. That's what the raven-haired teen answered him with. 

"You're starting to really piss me off, you know." 

He didn't care. He didn't care how pissed off he was making him. He was used to making people mad. And he was also used to being grabbed and forcibly turned too. Zuko glared heavily at the boy that had grabbed him. _God, why couldn't he just leave me alone for once? One day...that's all I want._

He, of course, was met with an annoying smirk. The smirk belonged to nonother than Jet himself. The dick. 

"What do you want, Jet?" Zuko seethed, his teeth barring. Jet scoffed and shook his head. 

"I'm tired of you ignoring me!" 

"And I'm tired of you talking to me. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get to class." Jet blocked his path and Zuko shook with anger. Why couldn't Jet get it through his head he wanted nothing to do with him? What was so hard to understand. 

"You're not getting away from me again," 

"Hey! Grass-breath!" Jet's eyes moved to look behind Zuko, to which Zuko turned to look at who yelled out only to find the loud messy-haired girl from the courtyard. "Stop harassing people! No one wants you or your gross dick near them!" A few other students looked in their direction but didn't stop walking to their own destinations. Not caring about the small girl's outburst towards the messy-haired boy. 

"And what are you going to do about it?" 

"I could kick you in your dick again." The small girl smirked, and once she got closer Zuko saw her milky eyes that were wide with excitement at the thought of doing just that. The scarred teen couldn't help but snort, Jet actually seemed threatened by her. And it was hilarious. Jet's eyes narrowed at the young girl and turned to face Zuko again, who just simply raised his eyebrow at him. 

"Whatever. This isn't over, Zuko." 

"Yep. Uh-huh. I so look forward to seeing you again, and again, and again." Zuko deadpanned, rolling his eyes. The small girl that was now standing next to him laughed loudly, and Jet stormed off. The shaggy-haired teen sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face. The small girl hadn't moved from his side yet, so he turned to her about to ask why she hadn't moved. But she spoke first. 

"I like you, Sparky! You should sit near Aang and I during class." She said, placing her hands on her hips. 

"I-...Sparky?" 

"Come on! We gotta get to class or Mrs. Macmu-Ling is going to give us hell for being late." Zuko blinked after the small girl shrugged, and decided to follow her. They were going to the same place anyway, even though he didn't know they shared a class in the first place. But she somehow did. Normally Zuko would ignore anyone that tried to talk to him, try to lay low under the radar to avoid making his father even more upset with him. But for some reason, this small girl made him curious. Plus, no one really went out of their way to talk to him anyway. Well...expect fucking Jet. 

Once the two stepped into the classroom that smelled like paint and clay, the bell rang telling them they had made it just in time. The teacher glared lightly at the two but didn't say anything. Allowing the two teens to make it to their seats. The girl waved for Zuko to sit down next to her, and he hesitantly did. 

"So, Sparky," She started, stretching her arms above her head. "Why was Jet harassing you?" 

"Jet was harassing him?" Zuko's gold eyes looked up and landed on a pale boy with short brown hair. His eyes wide and gray staring over at the girl in front of him. The kids eyes moved back and forth between the girl and Zuko, waiting for someone to explain. 

"Why do you keep calling me Sparky?" 

"She gave you a nickname already? She must really like you then!" The boy exclaimed, looking excited now. Forgetting his earlier confusion at the fact his friend had given Zuko a nickname. 

"What?" 

"Toph only gives people she likes nicknames! Besides you know...Jet. She more insulting him with the names she calls him." The boy explained. 

"Because he deserves it, Twinkletoes." Toph scoffed, leaning back heavily in his chair. 

"Okay, but why Sparky?" 

"From what I heard with you and Jet, it suits your personality. You're like a waiting firecracker. Plus...You're very warm I just realized." Zuko blinked at her. 

"I run hot." 

"Obviously." 

Zuko was quiet for a long moment, looking between the two younger teens. 

"Wow, you're awkward too! This guy is great." Toph said with a smile. 

"I'm not...I'm not awkward!" Zuko whispered harshly. This just caused the girl to laugh loudly, making the teacher and a few of the other students glare in their direction. It caused the boy to shrink back a little, but Zuko only rolled his eyes. 

"Are you done Ms. Beifong?" Ms. Macmu-Ling asked, raising an eyebrow at the young girl. Toph just smiled and the teacher sighed heavily, continuing with her lesson. "As I was saying, this project will require a team of two or three. You must incorporate different forms of art and art mediums. I don't care what you use but you must show at least five different mediums in this project. The first part of the project will be due in a week. Now, pick out your partners." 

This was one thing Zuko hated more than anything else, group projects. He never understood their purpose, there was always someone who didn't do anything and it drove him up a wall. 

"Hey! The three of us should work together!" The boy exclaimed, clapping his hands together excitedly. 

"I'm cool with it. But I'm not sure I can do much." Toph waved a hand in front of her face. "Kinda blind." 

"That's not true! We can use clay! You love clay!" 

Zuko watched the two, remaining quiet. Not really sure what to say or do. No one really...willingly wanted to work with or talk to him. This was all so new to him that he didn't know what to do with himself. So he just watched as the two started rambling off ideas for the project that he guessed he was working with them on. 

"What's your name again?" The boy asked tilting his head, smiling brightly. 

"Oh...um. Zuko." 

"Cool! I'm Aang!" 

"Yeah...cool." 

"So awkward." Toph laughed, punching Zuko in his arm in the process. 

"What was that for?" 

"It's how I show affection, Sparky. Get used to it. Because there's a whole lot more where that came from!" Toph smirked widely, and Zuko moved away from her slightly. Not really wanting her to hit him again, for being so small she sure knew how to punch hard. He could probably see why Jet didn't dare continue with whatever it was he was trying to do earlier. Toph wasn't someone to mess with, it seemed. And Zuko hoped he would never be on her bad side. 


	3. We Like It Loud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No, he's a jerk." 
> 
> "I didn't even do anything to you." Zuko narrowed his eyes lightly at him.

_**Chapter is named after "[We Like It Loud](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YwEWrhPfr4)" by Sleeping With Sirens** _

To say Zuko wasn't used to being around people is age was an understatement. He didn't expect working with Toph and Aang also meant he was now obligated to sit with them during lunch too. And after school, if they ever somehow tricked him into it. Which wasn't hard really. The two younger teens were following him out of the school building towards his Uncle's tea shop, talking loudly about many different things. 

He had been sitting with Toph and Aang during lunch for the past few days, helping them organize the project and figuring out what exactly they wanted to do. Neither of them were the most...creative. Sure Zuko liked theater and poetry because of his mom, but he couldn't...draw. Toph was blind but surprisingly good with clay. It was difficult to keep her interested in sticking with making one thing though. And Aang, the kid was all over the place. All the time. 

They may not have been the most creative separately, but together they did pretty well. Though the two younger teens weren't as organized as Zuko was. 

Toph and Aang's other friends weren't really friendly with Zuko. Not that he really blamed them. He scowled and sneered at people, and scoffed whenever someone said something mildly idiotic. Which was often if Sokka was talking. Suki, who Zuko learned was Sokka's ex-girlfriend, talked to him first between the three older ones in the group. She was a very confident and blunt girl. Not that it's a bad thing, Zuko likes the bluntness. It's easier to tell if someone likes you or not better instead of questioning how they feel about you. Like his old schoolmates back at Caldera High. 

"So I heard you used to hang around Jet and his crew?" Suki asked as she caught up with him, nudging her way between Aang and Zuko. Suki smiled kindly at the small boy when he moved over, patting him on the head, and watched him turn to talk to the blue-eyed siblings behind them. 

"Keywords, 'used to'. Jet's an asshole." Zuko grumbled, not really like the fact she brought him up. 

"Oh trust me, I know." Suki's voice had some sort of edge to it like she also had some personal issues with the boy. And Zuko didn't find that hard to believe at all. Jet was a jerk, everyone apparently knew that. He just wishes he found out sooner, would have saved him a lot of trouble in the long run. "If he gives you trouble again, I'll take care of him if you want." 

"I can handle myself." 

"I didn't say you couldn't." Suki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "But Toph seems to really like you, you know. And I trust Toph's judgment on people." Zuko blinked at the girl and turned his head to look behind him to where Toph was now talking to Sokka, hitting the other boy hard on his arm. 

"I don't know why she likes me," Zuko mumbled, turning back to face ahead of him when he caught Sokka and Katara's eyes. 

"You don't baby her," Suki said simply, shrugging her shoulders. 

"Why would I? Pretty sure she would have no problem taking down anyone." 

"Exactly. You don't underestimate her, and you barely know her. She likes that, and so do I." Suki smirked. "A lot of guys at our school believe girls can't fight." 

"That's fucking stupid." Zuko's eyes narrowed. Not once in his life had Zuko ever thought like that. But then again, his sister was Azula. And her friends were just as fierce as her. He had heard some guys in the halls talking about how..."superior" they were. Which made Zuko "accidentally" trip them down a flight of stairs. And he may have been an ass, but Jet didn't stand for that shit either and actually would fight people for them simply saying something ignorant about Smellerbee. 

When he was younger, Zuko would stand up for Azula often. Even if the young girl could easily handle it herself, it was his job as an older brother to stand up for his sister. So that's what he did. 

"Yeah, it is. Sokka used to be like that." Suki said, smiling fondly. "Then I beat him up." 

"Good." Zuko's eyes narrowed. "That's hard to believe though. Wouldn't his sister like...kill him?" 

"I'm pretty sure she's tried." Suki turned to face the girl in question. "Hey, Katara? Didn't you try to attack Sokka your freshmen year because you overheard him saying girls couldn't fight as well as boys could?" Sokka groaned loudly and whined a bit. "Suki! You promised to stop bringing that up! I was an idiot!" 

"Was?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow. Toph laughed loudly and punched Sokka in his arm yet again. Sokka glared at him but Katara looked at the scarred teen with a look he'd never seen her look at him with. Then she smiled. 

"To answer your question, Suki, yes I have. And I would have if Aang didn't stop me." Katara turned her eyes to her brother and glared. "You're lucky Suki handled you and not GranGran." 

"I know, I know!" Sokka yelled in frustration. "It was last year okay? I know I was an idiot! Please, stop." 

"You're just frustrated because we're embarrassing you in front of Sparky," Toph smirked. 

"That's not true!" Sokka screeched, causing Katara and Aang to flinch at his sudden yelling. 

"Oh please, Sparky's cool! You know it!" Toph looked like she was having the time of her life, but Sokka seemed annoyed. Zuko, he didn't know what to do really. But when did he ever? "Admit it! You think Sparky is cool!" 

"No, he's a jerk." 

"I didn't even do anything to you." Zuko narrowed his eyes lightly at him. 

"Oh come on Sokka, you're just mad because Toph doesn't tease Zuko as much as she teases you." Katara said, rolling her eyes. "Besides he not that bad." She smiled slightly at Zuko, which threw him off a bit. He would usually catch the girl looking at him with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to do something so that she could attack. 

Sokka grumbled but didn't say anything else. Zuko turned back to face in front of him, Suki smiling lightly at him. The quiet teen felt someone walk up beside him and punch his arm. He didn't have to turn and look to know it was Toph, but felt himself looking over at the shorter girl out of the corner of his eye. 

"Don't mind Snoozles, Sparky. He'll come around." Toph smiled brightly. "I thought Katara would be the one you had to worry about, honestly." 

Zuko hummed and continued to walk towards his Uncle's tea shop. He had brought up the fact his Uncle owns a tea shop and both Aang and Toph wanted to check it out. Toph claiming to like tea when she had one day stumbled into one not knowing she did and the owner being extremely kind even though the shop was just about to close. 

When they got there, Zuko opened the door for everyone. Letting them inside the tea shop before him. 

"Welcome to The Jasmine Dragon!" Zuko heard his Uncle greet happily. "Nephew! It's so wonderful to see you." 

"Hello, Uncle." 

"Wait...your Uncle is Iroh?" Toph asked. 

"You know my Uncle?" 

"Well if it isn't Ms. Toph! It is so good to see you again, young lady." Zuko watched as Toph smiled brightly in Iroh's direction. So this must have been the tea shop she has stumbled into on accident, Zuko should've guessed. Only his Uncle would offer free tea to someone who was lost. Besides, his uncle did have the best tea too. Not that he ever admitted that out loud. He probably should though. 

"Please go find yourselves a seat, I will be right over shortly." Zuko nodded with a slight smile and went to sit at a table the could fit all six of them. Zuko found himself sitting between Toph and Aang. Not that he minded. But he was still semi-shocked how quickly the two grew on him. He wasn't used to people liking him. But he guessed he'd better get used to it because he highly doubts these two will ever leave him alone. Which deep down, Zuko didn't mind. 

Iroh had walked over soon after they all sat and took their order, the tea shop being empty except for them and two other customers allowed Iroh himself to take orders without someone else needing to. As Iroh went back to make everyone's orders, Zuko pulled out the notebook he had been using to write down ideas for the art projects and sighed. 

"Alright, so we already figured out what mediums we're going to use. Toph will be using clay and charcoal, Aang will be using acrylic and watercolor, and I will be using ink and graphite. Now we just have to figure out the theme of our project. The paper says we have to show strong emotion that all group members have faced before." Zuko sighed heavily. "This is going to get very personal. 

But lucky for us, the theme of our project isn't due until the end of the month. We already figured out the first part of the project. Which was what mediums we'll be using." 

Toph nodded her head along with Zuko, and Aand smiled brightly. 

"Do you think Canvas would work with all these materials?" Toph asked with furrowed eyebrows. 

"I doubt it. Some canvas' don't hold things like watercolor well. You'd probably be better off using mixed media paper. You can find it in any crafts store." Katara said in a soft voice. Zuko looked up at the blue-eyed female and smiled slightly at her. "Thank you." She nodded and turned her head when she saw Iroh walking over with a tray. The six teens all sat in the quiet tea shop and drank their tea, talking and studying together. 

And once Zuko was home, he was glad his father wasn't there to ask him where he had been. Not that Ozai could really get mad at him for studying, but Zuko was sure the man would find something wrong with that and yell at him for it. And Zuko didn't feel like having an unnecessary argument with his father again. And Ozai was running out of things to yell at him for. Zuko was doing well in school, better than he'd ever done. Zuko wasn't getting into petty fights with students or teachers. He'd even had some of his teachers highly praise him after a test, which was weird. 

But Ozai had told the school Zuko was a troubled boy. Which was a lie. And a lot of his teachers were seeing that. Zuko flopped himself onto his bed and sighed heavily. 

About a week ago, Zuko had met Toph and Aang. Which then led him to meeting everyone else in their group. For three years Zuko had been avoiding people, trying his hardest to not talk to anyone. To ignore everyone. But this year, it didn't seem to work. Maybe this was a good thing, Uncle was always trying to tell him he needed to make some friends. And Zuko would usually scoff at the idea, but now the idea of having friends made his chest tighten. 

Zuko felt his phone vibrate, and when he pulled it out he couldn't help the eye roll. 

**Aang added you to The Gaang**

**Aang, Toph, (***) ***-1212, and two others**

Aang: hi zuko! :)

Toph: sparky! welcome!

(***) ***-1212: Hello, Zuko! This is Katara. 

(***) ***-7656: welcome to the chaos. this is suki btw 

Toph: wheres snoozles

(***) ***-1212: He's probably playing Elder Scrolls or something. You know how he is. 

Aang: discord says he's playing Minecraft! 

Aang: why didn't he tell me :( 

The texts continued, and Zuko found himself smiling at the bright phone screen. He quickly added Katara, Suki, and Sokka's numbers onto his phone and then went back to the group chat he had been added to. 

Zuko: If he didn't invite you to play Minecraft just have Toph beat him up.

Toph: yeah! thats the spirit sparky!

Zuko huffed a laughed and turned his phone off, walking over to his desk in order to finish his school work. He may not be used to social interaction and people actually enjoying his company, but he was starting to like the group's loud and energetic voices. Zuko was always around calm and quiet, almost eerie surroundings. 

He was told loud wasn't good. Loud was bad and unprofessional. But Zukow was starting to like loud.


	4. Do It Now Remember Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, would you look at this! Sugar Queen and Sparky are getting along!" 
> 
> Katara and Zuko looked up ahead to find the four others staring at them, then looked at each other.

**Chapter named after "[Do It Now Remember Later](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGGQHxb5p1w)" by Sleeping with Sirens **

**Mentions of Child Abuse (Verbal), Child Abandonment, and Manipulation.**

Zuko's eyes narrowed at the dark screen as the words "Game Over" glared right back at him. Around him, he could hear both Sokka and Aang talking and laughing loudly at their own game they were playing. Suki was at one where you punch to see how hard you can do it, Katara standing next to her and cheering. Toph was standing next to Zuko, gripping on his jacket lightly as she listened to him playing one of the many shooter themed games in the arcade. 

Zuko sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "You suck at these games, Sparky." 

"Shut up, Toph." The small girl laughed. "Let's go check out the claw machines." Zuko guided her through the Arcade towards the brightly lit machines that made Toph furrow her eyebrows. Zuko looked inside each machine, seeing what sort of trinkets and plushies they had until his eye caught one of the machines that held a stuffed badger inside. Without much thought, Zuko slid quarters into the machine and began to move the claw around. 

"What are you doing, Sparky?" 

"Trying to find a good angle to grab this stuffed animal." 

"Who are you getting it for? Snoozles?" Toph's grin turned into a smirk. "Snoozles likes anything that looks cool, FYI." 

"It's not for Sokka." Zuko scoffed, his eyes watching the claw fall down on top of the badger. He watched as the plushie was lifted up onto the air, and he felt his heart beat faster. His eyes narrowed as it got closer to its destination and smiled when it landed. He knelt down and grabbed the badger, realizing how soft it felt, and smiled wider. "It's actually for you." Zuko placed the soft stuffed toy into the blind girl's hands and watched as her face went from a teasing smirk to a wide a shocked expression. 

Normally Zuko wouldn't do this, people tended to get the wrong idea from him if he were to do that. Like if he were to do this for either Katara or Suki, other people (Not necessarily Katara and Suki themselves) would think he liked them...like that. Which wasn't the case. Zuko knew Toph wouldn't get that idea though. Even if the two had only known each other for about two weeks they had developed a sibling-like bond in those two weeks. 

Toph reminded Zuko of Azula at times when she was younger, and a lot of the times it made his chest hurt. He missed bonding with his sister like this but was happy he could do it with Toph who didn't have siblings. 

Toph held the stuffed animal close to her chest. "What is it?" She asked in a small voice, using her hands to try and figure out the shape herself. "It's a badger. I uh...remember you said you thought they were cool." 

"Thank you, Zuko." Toph's voice was quiet, and she had a small smile on her face. After a few beats of silence, Toph reached over and punched Zuko hard in his arm. "Ow," Toph smirked but was silent. 

Zuko shook his head and the two walked over to where both Aang and Sokka were. Toph started teasing Sokka as he played one of those games where you try to line the blocks up in order to reach the top. Zuko watched and Aang stood beside him, jumping on his heels as he watched Sokka in excitement. Zuko looks between both Aang and Toph and remembers the conversation they had in order to figure out their theme for their art project. It was an...emotional conversation. But it made Zuko have this weird older brother urge to protect the two. 

\------

_**A couple of days ago.** _

_Zuko ran his hand down his face and sighed in frustration. It had been thirty minutes since he had tried to help both Toph and Aang come up with a theme. Something they all had experienced before. But it was difficult. Zuko was a grumpy, angry, and very insecure boy. (Though he'd never admit to the last one.) Aang was very optimistic and bubbly. Toph was headstrong, blunt, and confident. Zuko furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to think, both Toph and Aang trying to figure it out with each other._

_"Ugh, this is impossible! It's not like everyone in this stupid school has shit fathers!"_

_"Shit fathers, you say? I have one of those." Toph smirked a bit. "Looks like we have more things in common than we thought, Sparky."_

_"I don't even know my parents," Aang said in a small voice. Zuko blinked at him, his face morphing into one of concern rather than frustration. His golden eyes flickered over to Toph who didn't look shocked by the news. "I was adopted last year." Aang shrugged, pulling his legs up to his chest. "Monk Gyatso is the only parental figure I know."_

_"Twinkletoes and I met in the orphanage." Toph's voice was abnormally quiet. "I...I ran away from home when I was ten? Eleven? My parents didn't really understand me, didn't care enough to want to it seemed. They thought I was nothing more than a tiny, fragile and defenseless little girl."_

_"My dad thinks I'm weak, pathetic, and a waste of space. A disappointment." Zuko sneered a bit. "My mother...I'm not sure where she is. She and my dad got into an argument one day and the next she was gone."_

_"So...we've all dealt with abandonment then," Aang said, looking up at Zuko. "Different forms of it, sure. But abandonment nonetheless."_

_Zuko sighed heavily but wrote down 'Abandonment' on their paper anyway. It was a personal topic, one he would rather much avoid talking about. But when Aang started talking, Zuko couldn't help but listen to the young boy. Aang talked about how he grew up in the orphanage, and how he felt lonely a lot of the time but tried not to let that affect him too much. He told Zuko about how every day he waited for someone to want to adopt him, to want him. And that made Zuko's heart ache._

_When Toph went into detail about when she ran away, Zuko felt a surge of protectiveness rush through him. When Toph had run away, the orphanage that held Aang called her parents to inform them. Toph was aware they would call her parents, she was aware her parents would come. But she didn't expect them to leave her there. She knew her parents cared for her deep down, but this wasn't how you showed your child that. They left her there, and it hurt her._

_They told her if she changed, they'd come back for her. But her "changing" meant becoming the tiny and defenseless girl that thought she was. And she couldn't live like that anymore._

_Two weeks. It had only been barely two weeks and these two were already opening up to him like they had known him for years. So Zuko took a deep breath and opened up to them about some of the things his own father has done. He held back, a lot. And if Toph knew he was, she didn't let on that she knew. Zuko only talked about how his father tends to ignore his existence, and how often he would yell at his mother which then soon turned onto him._

_He didn't tell them everything. They didn't need to know that. And he wasn't ready to tell anyone those things, not yet._

\----------

Zuko shook his head and focused back on Sokka, who was now yelling in frustration at the game. "This game is rigged!!" 

"All arcade games are rigged," Zuko rolled his eyes. "It's kind of their whole purpose." 

Sokka turned and glared at Zuko. 

"Nah, Snoozles just sucks," Toph smirked broadly. 

Sokka and Toph argued with one another as they walked out of the arcade, Aang walking beside them and Zuko walking behind them. Suki ran past Zuko and towards the three that were a couple of feet ahead. He felt someone walk up beside him and knew it was Katara without needing to look over. Zuko felt a bit nervous with her next to him, he wasn't oblivious to the glares she used to send his way. But she no longer would look at him with untrusting eyes. 

There was some form of silent understanding between the two, and neither of them really mentioned it. Zuko hoped to whatever god was listening that she wouldn't bring it up. He was horrible with conversation. It was easy to talk to Aang, the kid did most of the talking and didn't mind Zuko's lackluster answers. Toph was able to read him pretty well, but overall it was easy to talk to the blunt girl. 

Katara made him nervous. And so did her brother. Mostly her brother made him nervous. And he didn't want to admit that either, he'd only known the dude for two weeks. No way was he developing a crush on the loud boy _already_. He was better than that. 

"You know, you don't always have to walk behind us," Katara spoke in a soft voice. 

"Huh? Oh, I know. I just want to keep my ability to hear." Zuko said, shrugging. "I only have one ear left, I don't want to lose that one too because your brother won't stop screaming." 

Katara giggled behind her hand and looked ahead of her, watching as her brother yelled something at Toph who laughed in response. "I didn't know you couldn't hear out of your left ear." 

"I can hear slightly. Like if someone is directly next to me I can hear them, but other than that I can't hear much out of it." Katara hummed and looked over at Zuko. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that." 

"It's nothing I'm not used to by now." Zuko shoved his hands in his pockets and looked over at Katara. "You don't have to apologize for something you didn't do." 

"I know, I know. I still feel bad, you know? I'm also sorry for how I treated you when we first met." 

"Oh, it's fine Katara." 

"No. It's really not. I didn't have a reason to not trust you when we first met. I mean...well." 

"It's because of Jet, right?" 

Katara turned to look at him, stunned a bit before nodding. 

"Yeah, I used to see you around him a lot towards the end of last year. I had been close to him at one point you could say. I didn't realize how manipulative he was...until Sokka stepped in. I thought, I thought you were the same and I'm sorry." 

Zuko looked at Katara, watched as she nervously fiddled with her hands. A look of guilt etched into her features. 

"Katara, you don't have to apologize. I mean, it sucks to be compared to Jet of all people. But it's okay. I wish I found out he was manipulative sooner too." 

Katara sighs heavily. "Who would've thought the way we both become closer is because we both share an awful experience with the same guy." Zuko snorted and shook his head. That's how he found himself listening to Katara rant about the messy-haired boy while they walked behind the rest of the group. She ranted about how Jet had made her distrust her own brother at one point, thinking Sokka was just jealous of Jet. 

Zuko scoffed loudly at that. As if there was anything to be jealous of.

"Well, would you look at this! Sugar Queen and Sparky are getting along!" 

Katara and Zuko looked up ahead to find the four others staring at them, then looked at each other. 

"Turns out we both share an awful experience with Jet," Katara explained, shrugging a bit before smiling. 

" _Everyone_ has awful experiences with Jet. He sucks." Zuko grumbled, rolling his eyes slightly. It was true. Jet was awful. Manipulative, selfish, _abusive_. And Zuko can't imagine anyone as kind as Katara getting anywhere near someone like Jet. But the boy was good with words, good with using his sad story to pull people in. To give them a false sense of security in order to use them without them noticing. It worked with Zuko. And he hated that it worked. 

Zuko shook his head and focused back on what was happening right now. Maybe one day he'll be able to verbally express himself without issue like everyone else in the group, but right now all he wanted to do was find somewhere to eat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in a lot of fanfics and in cannon, it takes Katara awhile to trust Zuko. But in reality, she was indeed one of the first few to trust Zuko while they were trapped in the catacombs. So I believe in a High School setting it wouldn't take Katara long to open up to him and trust him like it did in the show. I mean...in the show she had every right to not fully trust him. He was kind of an idiot. 
> 
> But I love reading fanfics that have Katara and Zuko bonding! It makes my heart happy. Whether it's platonic or romantic. I just love their dynamic in general. But this is a Zukka fic. Katara and Zuko's relationship is strictly platonic in this story. 
> 
> I also enjoy Toph and Zuko's dynamic, so there will be a lot more of "Zuko and Toph being siblings" throughout the story! Just big brother Zuko in general is a thing lmao.


	5. Darkness Got A Hold On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was used to the nightmares. They weren't anything new, they have haunted him since he was eleven.

**Chapter named after "[Meet Me In The Woods](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOsLdBqbPA)" by Lord Huron**

**Mentions of Child Abuse (Physical and Verbal) and mentions of Homophobia**

It had been about two months since Zuko was introduced to Toph's friends. About two months since Toph had stepped in when Jet was harassing him. And much to Zuko's surprise, he fit in with their chaotic group well. For the first time in a long time, Zuko felt like he belonged. Felt wanted. Felt almost enough. 

But of course for Zuko things never truly go right for a long time. Because of course, he had to have a nightmare the first time he stayed over at one of their houses. But thankfully he didn't wake up screaming. 

He felt hot. It was so _hot_. He could feel the fire on his face, could still hear his father's taunting voice echoing through his mind. Zuko panted, tried to breathe. But his chest hurt so much, his throat hurt as if he had been screaming. But if he was, he was sure someone would've been awake. But when he looked around with blurry eyes, no one had moved. 

Zuko stood on shaky legs and moved as quietly as he could towards the bathroom. He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water over his face, instantly gasping as the freezing water made contact with his sweating face. He focused on his breathing, trying desperately to calm himself down. 

He was used to the nightmares. They weren't anything new, they have haunted him since he was eleven. They only got worse once he was thirteen, and fire had made contact with his face. But it was punishment, right? He had disappointed his father, had offended him. He needed to be disciplined...right? His uncle had tried to tell him it was wrong, but he never listened. Because father would never willingly hurt him without reason, right? 

_No, he would._

Zuko closed his eyes tightly and splashed more cold water onto his face. He remembers that day so vividly, and he wished he didn't. He remembers his father's voice getting louder, and louder, and louder. He remembers seeing Azula's wide and frightened eyes as their father stepped closer to him, started to spew hateful words towards him. 

He remembers how Ozai called him disgusting, a disappointment, abnormal and sick. All of this, all of those hateful words and yelling because he had somehow found out about the fact Zuko was questioning if he was gay or not. He wasn't sure how he did, but Zuko knew it wasn't Azula. No matter how many times she would say she hated him, Azula wouldn't have put him in danger like that. Especially seeing she was just as terrified as he was that day. And Zuko knew she was the one to call Uncle, that she was the one that told Mai he was questioning and needed someone to keep him safe. That she would visit him in the hospital constantly when he wouldn't wake up. That she was having breakdowns every day he didn't open his eyes. 

He wasn't sure how Azula was able to do it, but she did. She had kept him safe for another few years after the whole face-burning incident. She'd come up with Mai and Zuko's relationship, though would never admit it. She played it up around their father, made it seem like the two were a disgustingly affectionate couple. But that was far from the truth. 

Zuko loved Mai, he truly did. Just not in the way they both made it seem in front of his dad. They were both gay. So obviously so. But Azula never said anything, even if she said she would. Azula was a good liar. 

But Ozai was good at keeping her away from him. And Zuko knew he needed to, or his little sister would get hurt just like he did. And no matter how many fights he and Azula would get into, he never wished for his sister to go through something like that. He couldn't wish that on anyone. And he never would. 

Zuko sighed heavily and walked back into the living room where everyone else was asleep. When he walked in, he saw a sleepy Sokka sitting up and begrudgingly petting a very much awake Momo. Momo was Aang's siamese cat. He also had a St. Bernard named Appa who for some reason really liked Zuko. And Momo seemed to take a liking to Sokka. 

"I didn't know you were up," Sokka said in a quiet voice, looking over at Zuko with heavy eyes. Sokka's hair was down, and an utter mess. 

"Yeah, well. I didn't expect to see you up, either." 

"Momo wouldn't get off my face," Sokka complained, glaring down at the cat who just looked up at him with very wide eyes. "Menace cat." 

Zuko chuckled and sat down on the floor where he had been sleeping. 

"So why are you up?" Sokka asked. 

"Uh...bathroom?" 

"Uh-huh, sure buddy." Sokka raised an eyebrow, looking at his friend's wet face and red eyes. When the two first met, Sokka didn't really like the jerk. Sure he did nothing wrong, but Sokka just didn't trust him after the other jerk hurt his sister. But come to find out, Zuko had been hurt by the guy too and hated him just as much as Sokka did. So in reality, Zuko wasn't really all that bad. He just had some temper issues sometimes, nothing Sokka wasn't used to. Katara had a temper, a bad one at that. 

Besides, Zuko was awkward. It was pretty funny. 

The two had gotten closer over the past couple of weeks, Sokka finding out it was extremely easy to talk to the scarred boy and that they had some things in common too. 

"It's nothing to worry about," Zuko said, shaking his head. 

"You can talk to me, you know," Sokka spoke quietly, not really wanting to wake the others. "Was it a nightmare?" 

Zuko scowled. "I get them too," Sokka said, tilting his head a bit. He watched as Zuko looked at him. He could tell the boy was having an inner debate with himself, he did that a lot. Zuko's face would twitch as he thought about what to do or say next. "They're usually about my mom." Sokka's voice was quiet, and his eyes moved down to look at Momo who mewed quietly. 

"Mine are about...unpleasant reminders." Zuko reached for his scar without realizing it, and Sokka's eyes grew wide. He should've known he would still be affected by something that looked so traumatic. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Not really." Sokka nodded, understanding. "I just sucks that it still affects me so much. That this, this darkness just follows me around." 

"You experience something traumatic, I'm assuming. You can't just get over something like that. It's human. It's normal. I still have nightmares about the night my mother died, and I wasn't even with her during the accident. None of us were. But it still affected me. It's okay to let things affect you, Zuko. But you can't just brush it off and bottle it up or you'll explode, trust me." Sokka sighed and looked over at his sister. "It won't be pretty." 

Zuko watched Sokka and sighed heavily. He knew deep down Sokka was right, but he couldn't help that his father's voice was echoing through his head telling him differently. It wasn't something he could just get rid of easily, either. But the taunting voice did seem to get quieter when he started to slowly open himself up to those he now called his friends. 

Maybe one day he won't feel like he has to hide what has happened to him. But right now, he just couldn't. He couldn't find it in himself to talk about it. He hadn't even brought up the worst of it to Toph who he had started to seem more like a little sister. Toph wasn't one to do mushy emotional stuff, she was blunt and headstrong. She was a good listener and was able to comfort him without pity, which he liked. 

She reminds him of Azula. Both of them preferred not to be sentimental and showed their affection in rather more extreme ways you could say. But they both had a soft side, whether they would admit it or not. Zuko knew they did, he's seen it. Though he would never tell anyone about it. He'd like to keep living, thanks. Maybe one day they could meet each other. But that was wishing for a miracle, one that Zuko knew couldn't happen easily. 

Zuko looked back over to Sokka, who was now struggling more than ever to keep his eyes open. "You can go back to sleep, you know?" 

"Can't. Momo will just sit on my face again." Sokka yawned loudly. "And I'd like to be able to breathe, thanks." 

"It is almost six," Zuko said, looking out one of the windows. He could faintly see the pinkish hues from the sun making their way over the horizon. Zuko always liked sunrises, the colors always looked so pretty. So warm and inviting. "Sunrises remind me of my mom." He caught himself quietly saying. He wasn't sure what made him say it, wasn't sure why he said it to Sokka of all people. But he didn't regret saying it either, because it was true. When he was younger, he and his mother would wake before dawn just to go out into the garden to watch the sunrise together. It was one of the few things he and his mother did together when she was still living with them. When things weren't so bad yet. 

"The moon reminds me of my mom," Sokka said quietly, looking out the window as well. A soft smile on his face. Zuko hummed and continued to watch the sunrise, thinking about his mom. He felt something heavy plop into his lap, and when he looked down he saw the big furry head of Aang's dog nestled in his lap. 

Appa huffed lowly and nudged Zuko's hand with his head, demanding the black-haired teen pet him. Zuko chuckled and pet the top of his head. Appa's weight on his lap gave him a sense of grounding, gave him some form of comfort as well. It was like the giant ball of fur knew he had been upset, had been dwelling on the past. 

Appa was a very observant dog, and very caring too. It was probably because he was a St. Bernard and they had been trained for so long to rescue people. To help them. That and dogs just somehow always seemed to know when someone was upset or hurt. Momo was like that too, but he was currently curled in the other boy's lap. Too comfortable to move from Sokka's lap. 

The darkness that seemed to linger around him seemed to melt away. Sokka, Momo, and Appa all seemed to help somehow. Not that he was complaining. But the sunrise seemed to help to, helping him remember the brighter times he had spent with his mother when he was a child. And when the others around him began to stir awake, he was reminded with the bright and happy memories he will me now. With the people around him that so openly accepted him. 

He closed his eyes, basking in the light. Because something was telling him the darkness was going to be looming more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know everything seems like it's moving all over the place, at least to me it does, and I want to apologize. I just wanted to get Zuko used to the group around him so that the actual plot could start? If anyone has any criticism I'm open to hearing it! Thank you all for reading!


	6. Midnight City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko shot back up, looked at his sister with confused eyes. "What?" 
> 
> "Get up. We're going out." 
> 
> ".....What?" 

**Chapter named after "[Midnight City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzvORd7wiM)" by M83**

The dark looming thoughts didn't leave him entirely, but they weren't as persistent as Zuko thought they would be. During these times the teen tried to spend more time with his uncle, who seemed to make his thoughts seem less jumbled and confusing. He tried to spend more time with those he now calls friends, seeing as when he was around them those dark and annoying thoughts didn't follow him. He tried his hardest, but Ozai was making it impossible. 

Zuko was getting restless. Winter break had never really been his favorite, being home for a week with his father wasn't something he looked forward to. Zuko laid on his back on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling ahead of him. Sokka kept asking when he could come to hang out with them, and to Zuko's disappointment, he couldn't. He couldn't even go out to see Iroh unless Iroh came to the house. Which thankfully was often. 

The only person in the house that didn't try and make his break a living hell was surprisingly his sister. Sure she still teased him and was still just as ruthless as she's always been, but he could see her sending him worried glances whenever Father was near him. But then again, Zuko couldn't help that his whole body tensed when the man was ten feet from him. So of course Azula noticed, he just thought she would tease him for it. Call him weak. But she never did. 

She had been changing, and Zuko wasn't sure why. But it was like getting the old Azula back. She was no longer selling for father's approval it seemed, but she didn't go against him either. So when she opened his door to his room that night and plopped herself onto his bed, he didn't flinch or glare at her. He just continued to stare at the ceiling. 

"You're really depressing, you know that right?" His sister asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"Yes. I'm aware. You'd be too if you couldn't see your friends. Or leave the house in general." 

"Wow, Zuzu. You have friends?" 

"Shocker. I know." Zuko sat up and looked over at Azula, who was watching him closely. Her face showed no emotion, but her eyes tended to give her away a lot. And when he looked at them, he saw nothing but concern swimming through them. She had never looked at him like that, and it set him on edge. 

"Azula? Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

"Az." Azula looked over at him, her eyes going wide. Zuko hadn't called her that since their mother left, and hearing her old nickname come out of his mouth shocked her. Azula watched her brother, for a long time before standing up from his bed. Zuko sighed and flopped back down. He should've known better than to think she would tell him what was wrong. 

"Get up, lazy ass." 

Zuko shot back up, looked at his sister with confused eyes. "What?" 

"Get up. We're going out." 

".....What?" 

"Jesus Christ," Azula mumbled. "We're going out, Zuzu. Now. With Mai and Ty Lee." 

"But father-" 

"Doesn't have to know." She waved her hand dismissively. Zuko watched her for a few seconds his eyes wide. Azula had never done something to oppose their father, to make him angry. And leaving around midnight would definitely piss him off. He didn't know what to say to her, but he knew he couldn't change her mind. But he could try. "Azula dad will hurt you if you leave this late." Azula looked at her brother and stared at him quietly. "Especially if you leave with me." 

"Well, Zuzu. I don't really care." Azula turned and left his room, Zuko watching her leave before he quickly grabbed his phone and jacket. The house was silent, signaling to both siblings that their father was asleep. There were a few of his hired servants still up, but none of them paid any mind to the two extremely quiet siblings. It was like they couldn't hear nor see them. 

Azula quickly slipped on her shoes and Zuko followed her out the door once his shoes were on. The two walked down their driveway, towards the sidewalk in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable like Zuko thought it would be, it was nice. He looked up at the dark night sky and breathed heavily, taking in the cold winter air. It was close to midnight, or it was the last time Zuko looked at his phone. Which was just before Azula let herself into his bedroom. He couldn't help but think about all the negative things that could happen because they decided to sneak out of the house. Something wasn't going to go right. 

"So are we actually going to meet up with Mai and Ty Lee or was that a lie?" 

Azula scoffed. "Yes, we are. They wanted to meet at a diner somewhere in town." She waved her hand again and pulled her phone out. Zuko followed her down the sidewalk, into the town. It was a long walk, and he wasn't sure why Azula decided to do this at all. She preferred to be driven. She liked following the rules, as long as it benefited her. And listening to their father until she graduated would've helped her a lot. But now he wasn't. And Zuko wanted to know what had happened to make Azula want to do this. 

They walked up to a diner that had a bright neon sign that was lit up, reading _Open 24/7_. The two siblings walked inside, he watched as Azula looked around trying to find her friends when something or someone rammed themselves into his chest. 

"Zuko!! Oh, it's so good to see you!" Zuko knew that voice, he's known that voice since he was a child. And hearing it made a small smile form on his face. 

"Hi, Ty Lee." Zuko awkwardly patted the small girl's back and looked up to see his sister quirking an eyebrow at the two. Zuko shrugged and turned to look where Ty Lee had run from to see if Mai was sitting there, and when he looked he felt his body freeze. He blinked and once again turned to look at his sister, who was inspecting her nails with a disinterested look. Then he looked back over to where Mai was, but she wasn't sitting alone. 

"Guys?" 

"Zuko!" Aang was the next to run over to him and hug him. Zuko once again looked at his sister confused. "What...is happening?" 

"Isn't it obvious, Zuzu? Your friends wanted to see you, so I helped." Azula rolled her eyes. "Besides, this was Ty Lee's idea anyway." 

"I hope you don't mind! But your friends missed you so much! Suki and I are in the same dojo classes over the weekends, she talked about you a lot!" Ty Lee smiled widely up at Zuko who looked dumbfounded. "Plus, Azula told me your dad had been keeping you home. Not letting you out of the house at all unless it was to go to school. I knew you missed them so." Ty Lee looked down at the floor now, fiddling with her thumbs a bit. As if anxious Zuko would be mad she noticed how much his friends wanted to see him. Which is what he was shocked by. 

"Ty Lee..." Zuko's voice was quiet. "Thank you." He watched as the girl's eye lit up at the thanks. Zuko looked down at Aang who had clung onto him, wrapping both his arms and legs around the older teen as if scared he'd vanish. 

"Aang, you can let go now." 

"No way! It's been too long since I've had a Zuko hug!" 

"Zuko gives the best hugs! Well, behind Mai of course!" Ty Lee said ecstatically. 

"I don't know, Ty Lee. Zuko does give very good hugs." Suki countered, looking almost smug at Zuko's flustered expression. It was one thing everyone in the group liked to do, make Zuko a flustered mess. Suki and Toph however were the only ones to notice how easy it was for Sokka to do it. Not that Zuko would ever admit to that, but Suki and Toph weren't dumb either. They knew. And Zuko had a feeling Azula knew too. She just...always knows. 

Zuko and Azula soon joined everyone at the booth they had been sitting at, Zuko sitting in between Sokka and Toph and, Azula sitting between Katara and Suki on the other side of the table. It was strange seeing Azula sit in between two of his friends, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. Just weird. 

Zuko hadn't felt so happy in a couple of weeks, but sitting here with everyone made him smile brightly. Something a lot of people weren't used to seeing. Azula had felt herself relax at the sight of her brother's smile, not realizing how much she missed the carefree look he used to have. Mai felt the corners of her mouth twitch at the sight, happy that Zuko finally found people he could be himself around beside her. And Ty Lee smiled wider at the sight if it were even possible for her to do so. 

It was weird to see how well Azula and her friends got along with everyone. It put Zuko at ease, happy that he wouldn't have to worry about any arguments (hopefully) breaking out between anyone. So far it was just the normal banter that everyone usually did. Suki, Azula, and Mai got along scarily well, and Ty Lee got along well with Aang which wasn't so surprising. 

Toph seemed to get along well with Azula as well, both of them teasing Zuko relentlessly. 

"Oh! Oh! I have a joke!" Ty Lee said enthusiastically to Aang. "What school subject is the fruitiest?" 

"Gay History," Zuko responded without missing a beat. 

"Gay Math," Sokka said right after him. 

Ty Lee giggled. "History! Because it's full of dates!" Aang and Ty Lee laughed while Zuko turned to look at Sokka confused. "Whats gay math?" 

"Oh you know...like, what's 5 + 7?" Sokka asked in a very flamboyant tone that caused Zuko to snort. While laughed Zuko started to hit Sokka's arm, something he did whenever the boy would make him laugh hard. Both boys were laughing, which caused everyone else to laugh around them. When Zuko was able to catch his breath he turned to Sokka. "The answers 12." He responded in his own flamboyant tone, which caused Sokka to laugh harder. 

It was such a stupid thing to be laughing about, but Zuko couldn't help it. It was funny, maybe because he was sleep-deprived. He didn't know, nor did he care. 

"What's got Sokka laughing so hard?" A voice Zuko kind of recognized, but not fully spoke. 

"Babe! You made it!" Suki stood up quickly from her seat and pulled the person in a tight embrace. When Zuko was able to see who it was he saw it was another female that shared a similar completion to Sokka, but her hair was white. From stories he's heard, he had quickly realized that this was Yue. Sokka's ex-girlfriend and Suki's current girlfriend. "And Sokka is just laughing at something Zuko said." 

"Zuko?" Yue turned to look at Zuko, and her face lit up. "Is he the one everyone has been telling me about?" 

"If by everyone you mean Sokka? Then yes." Yue giggled and nodded she looked back at Zuko and offered a kind and gentle smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Zuko. I'm Yue." 

"Uh yeah...it's nice to meet you too. Everyone talks about you often." 

Yue smiled at that and turned to look at Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee. Her eyes landing on the ladder. "Oh, Ty Lee! It's so good to see you!" 

"Hi, Yue!" Ty Lee smiled brightly. "Oh! This is my girlfriend, Mai, and my best friend Azula! She's Zuko's sister." Ty Lee introduced the two other girls to the white-haired female, who smiled gently at them all. 

"It's wonderful to meet you all." Yue sat down on Suki's other side, Suki placing her arm around the girl's shoulders with a broad smile plastered on her face. They all sat in the diner for what felt like hours, there was really no concept of time to the group of teenagers. All of them laughing and just having a good time with each other, something they had all needed during the winter break. 

When they decided it was time to leave the diner, none of them actually wanted to go home. So instead they all piled into Sokka truck. Sokka driving (obviously), Katara in the passenger seat, Suki, Yue, and Aang all in the back, and Zuko, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and Toph all sitting in the truck bed. The town was quiet and almost seemed abandoned, but then again it was 2 in the morning. No one would really be awake currently. 

Sokka was blaring music in the truck, all the windows were down allowing the passengers in the bed of the truck able to hear the music. It felt like a scene from a movie, some coming of age film about a group of teens just trying to get past high school. 

The scarred teen let his head fall back, soaking in the cold winter's air as they drove through the night. Toph was clinging onto his arm, a bright and content smile on her face as she too felt the cold air whisp around her. Zuko looked over at his sister and saw her calm and relaxed expression as she watched Ty Lee record the events on her phone. He hadn't seen Azula like this in a very long time, and so desperately wanted to keep that look on her face. She looked so peaceful, so happy and it made Zuko's heart hurt. 

He loved his little sister, he truly did. But sometimes he felt useless whenever he looked at her because he couldn't do much to protect her. It was always her protecting him when it should be the other way around. He was the eldest, it was his job to take care of her. But he wasn't doing a very good job of that. But he promised himself that he would start. He wanted to see his sister smile more, wanted to see her as herself again. Not what their father wanted her to be. He knew she wasn't happy with it, but she was terrified to go against him. Not that he blamed her. But doing this, being out this late with Zuko was going against him. 

And Zuko knew he wasn't going to be happy with that. No, not at all. So Zuko prepared himself to have to protect his little sister because he would. He would do anything for Azula. He had to. So when they tried to sneak back inside their home and their father's voice echoed through the hallways. Zuko knew what he needed to do. He just hoped Azula wasn't like him and tried to step in to help. 


End file.
